Maverick Vinales recently made the choice to leave Aprilia, to swap his role as a factory rider in Noale, for a seat in KTM’s satellite team, Tech3.
A surprising decision as the firm intended to extend the Spaniard in 2025. He would then have been lined up alongside Jorge Martin, from Pramac Racing.
Before the start of the Assen Grand Prix, the No. 12 reconsidered his choice not to extend with Aprilia. If he admits to feeling comfortable in Noale, where he shone again this year during the Grand Prix of the Americas, Vinales believes that the KTM project was more attractive.
“The main reason for leaving is that I wanted to follow my instinct, he confided at a press conference in the Netherlands. In my opinion, it is possible to know which bikes are about to become better than others. Following this logic, I judged that I was making the right choice.
I know myself and I know what I am capable of. I proved it in Austin, he continues. I took my time because I wanted to see if I could reproduce such a performance before making a decision. I thought about it carefully. I think this decision was the best I could make to build a long-term project. »
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Another driver in the paddock took advantage of this start to try his luck in new colors. Thus, it is Marco Bezzecchi who will inherit the second official Aprilia handlebar next year. For his part, the choice was more obvious.
Currently in difficulty with VR46, while he does not have the latest version of the Desmosedici GP, the Italian will say goodbye to the team which allowed him to make his debut in the premier category to achieve his objectives.
“Every driver’s dream is to become a factory driver, and I was no exception. Since I arrived in MotoGP, I had the ambition to join an official team and represent it. The opportunity presented itself at Aprilia, and I think it was the best choice I could make” adds Bezzecchi to Assen.
